We’re happy to share a lovely review of our book, Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen, in the “What’s Cooking?” section of the Tucson Citizen: http://tucsoncitizen.com/cooking/. In this section, reporter Larry Cox, shares is favorite cookbooks – and he says of our recipes, “I highly recommend this collection. Whether you are facing a cancer fight, know someone who is, or just want to improve the odds by eating healthier foods, this cookbook offers valuable guidance.” He also tried our Oatmeal Carrot Cookie Smoothie and Roasted Beets – yum! Get the Roasted Beets recipe by visiting the review!

So many of us are running out the door in the morning – heading to work, bringing the kids to school – so breakfast sometimes just has to be quick and easy. As much as we know how important and helpful it is to our psychological and physical health to sit down, eat slowly and be mindful of the time we spend eating (rather than scarfing down your food, or skipping breakfast altogether), it just isn’t always easy or even possible.

Here is a very quick and simple breakfast that still packs a nutrient-rich punch: a green protein-rich smoothie and sprouted whole grain toasted with coconut oil. This can also be a great quick breakfast option for kids.

The bread we like is the Food for Life Ezekiel brand, which includes whole sprouted grains, no added sugar or really much of anything else. It is NOT gluten-free, however sprouted gluten-containing grains are often easier for many people to digest. This particular bread also has raisins and cinnamon. Add some coconut oil and you get some healthy fat as well (and it tastes so yummy on this bread!).

For your smoothie, you can make any combination that appeals to you, just be sure to add in some protein, greens and good fats (like coconut oil, chia seeds, avocado or nut butters) to help sustain you. You may also want to add a banana, berries or a little honey to help sweeten. This smoothie has water, banana, baby kale, coconut oil, almond butter, and avocado. You can adjust each ingredient to your liking.

We hear so much about the latest diet fad and how to lose those extra 10, 20 or 30 pounds with some special pill or drink. Many of us have grown up seeing advertisement after advertisement for the next big weight loss program or quick fix. This leads to yo-yo dieting and feelings of failure and inadequacy when we can’t lose the weight we want to lose.

For many cancer survivors, excess weight is one more crappy side effect of conventional treatment, and can add to the lack of energy, strength and balance we feel once treatment is done.

The truth is losing weight is just one part of the picture. And very often fad diets and magic pills might help with weight loss but they create imbalance and stress in the body, weaken the immune system, create fatigue, disrupt proper hormonal function and even put us on an emotional rollercoaster. Even if the weight is lost, it is likely to come back and there are usually other issues in the body that are not addressed or resolved.

When we begin adding in real, whole foods, mostly plants, and focus on that on a daily basis, rather than going on a strict diet or restricting certain foods, the results are amazing, real and long-term. How we eat, our health, our weight – these things are all a result of a lifestyle shift. Rather than going on the on-again, off-again dieting route, instead, it could make all the difference if we begin to make changes in food and diet that we plan to maintain permanently.

To make this work, we can’t be eating in a way that causes deprivation of foods we love, starvation from not getting enough nutrient-dense calories, or an inflammatory, imbalanced environment in the body.

We’re saying get stop dieting, stop counting calories and points. Get real with food and with yourself. Eat in a way that is enjoyable AND health-promoting. Eat more veggies. Eat whole grains. Eat more plant proteins. Eat healthy fats. And as you do, you will naturally crowd out the processed, sugary foods and too much animal protein. You will also find a balance that works well for YOU. After all, there is no one right diet for every body.

To get you going, here are 10 specific tips that you can begin today (or try one new tip a week) for losing unwanted weight effortlessly and bringing harmony to your body:

Pick one leafy green veggie, like kale, spinach, or collards and add it in on a daily basis. Need a recipe to get you started? Try our Cashew Kale recipe!

We love our smoothies, and drink them almost daily, year-round. However, with the cold winter months we often want something warming rather than an ice-cold smoothie. This recipe is a yummy example of how to make a smoothie for the colder months. It’s just like having your oatmeal in a smoothie! And stay tuned for more cold-weather smoothie tips!

Warm Berry Oatmeal Smoothie

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

¼ cup tablespoons rolled oats, uncooked

3 tablespoons raw almonds, soaked for several hours

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup water

½ cup fresh berries of choice, at room temperature

honey to taste

Directions:

Add oats to blender and blend until finely ground. Add almonds, cinnamon, berries and water. For most blenders, add very hot water. For blenders with the “soup” feature (like Vitamix and Blendtec), cold or warm water is fine. Blend until smooth and creamy. Blenders with soup feature will heat the mixture as it blends (about 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes). Other blenders – simply blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add honey to taste, blending briefly to combine honey with smoothie. Sip from a mug or enjoy in a bowl with spoon.

One of the easiest ways to get your green-on (leafy green, that is) is by adding leafy green veggies to smoothies. Have a smoothie for breakfast, lunch, part of a meal or a snack. And you can easily blend your ingredients and take it with you in a glass jar or other travel container.

Leafy greens are very nutrient-rich, detoxifying, and energizing. They strengthen the immune system, nourish the blood and support the skin – to name just a few benefits!

If you are new to leafy greens (kale, collards, spinach, watercress, mustard, dandelion) and a little unsure of how to add them in to your diet or aren’t a fan of their taste, throwing them in a smoothie is a fab way to eat (or drink!) them regularly and you can easily hide the flavor. Although, we love how leafy greens taste, and we encourage you to try them steamed, sauteed, in soups and so many other ways (check out our book for ideas and recipes!).

We suggest making a blender-full of smoothie and pouring anything you don’t drink right away into glass mason jars for you and your family to drink for a couple days. Don’t store your smoothies longer than a couple of days in the fridge.

After their cancer diagnoses, Kendall Scott and Annette Ramke learned how to thrive through cancer and beyond by taking an integrative approach to healing, with a focus on whole, plant-based food. Kendall and Annette are the authors of Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen and received board-certification in Health Coaching through Integrative Nutrition and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). Read More…